RESIDENTS of a community for the homeless in Oxford were given the chance to meet their charity’s Royal patron – the Duchess of Cornwall.

The £2.5m centre has been home to seven residents since the end of March and there are now 10 people living at the centre in Oxford Road, Cowley.

The official opening of Emmaus in Oxford follows many years of fundraising and planning, with money coming from individual donors, trusts and the Government.

The Duchess met residents – known as companions – staff and supporters of the charity, before unveiling a plaque.

Emmaus not only offers men and women a place to live but also a place to work. Members of the community refurbish and sell donated secondhand furniture at a store in Westlands Drive, on the Northway estate.

Tom Horan, 22, one of the residents, said: “It was fantastic to meet Camilla – we shook hands and had a little chat.

“I thought she was very down-to-earth and I’m delighted that she’s our Royal Patron.”

Mr Horan, who is originally from Dover, said he was one of the first residents to live at the centre.

He added: “In the past, I probably drank a bit too much, but Emmaus has helped me to turn my life around.

“I’m learning to cook and there’s a good social life here as well – we play football when we get the chance.”

Maisy and Lilly James, aged four and three, the daughters of staff community leader Steve James, greeted the Duchess with posies of flowers. Their mother Clare said: “The girls were very excited.”

Mr James added: “We have staff here seven days a week to work alongside the companions, to help them if they have any problems.

“There are 10 men and 12 women living here at the moment. Some people have come from prison or they have been made homeless for one reason or another.”

Jean Williams, founding trustee for Emmaus, said the idea for the home dated back to about 1996, when she wrote a letter to our sister paper, The Oxford Times, to suggest the need for such a facility to be provided in the city.

The chairman of the trustees, William Alden, added: “Today is the culmination of about 10 years of hard work.

“Oxford has one of the biggest homelessness problems in the country.

“All the companions living here work in our secondhand furniture store and that’s an enormous benefit to them.”

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